Any experience towing a TomKat with an F-150 or similar?

J

JMacLeod

New member
Hi all,

Tossing around different options between a house with dock, rack storage, and trailering.
I like the idea of the C-Dorys for trailering, and was wondering about anyone's experience towing with something similar to an F-150.

If I'm not forced to trade-up my truck (2014 F-150 XLT), it'll be easier to justify the $20-40k premium of the TomKat over an equivalent 26-28' cruiser to "the Admiral".

Thanks!
 
The C Dory 25 will be int the 7500 to 8000# range on the trailer. The Tom Cat will close to 10,000, and I have heard of some being closer to 11,000#. There are some of the newest 150's which are rated to two close to that, but usually a 5th wheel, or pole hitch type. Many require an equalizing hitch after a certain weight. This may require (suggested for the Tom Cat--and others) electric over hydraulic brakes..

We faced the same issue--trading in a relative new 1/2 ton SUV (which has the feature of being towable 4 down behind our RV--Something which I don't think is available on the 3/4 ton models.) With the 1/2 ton, you want to carefully watch the transmission temp, maybe put in air ride, beef up the transmission etc. We did this when we towed a 25 all over the west with a 30 foot RV and with a Ford V10. (Put in increased cooler, lock up torque converter, beefed up the towing components, etc)
 
Journey On is a 25' C-Dory which we measured at a towing weight of 8000#, with another ~300# in the back of the truck (plus us.) We've towed it with both a '63 Chevvie 1/2 ton and now with a Ford F-250. So you can certainly can tow the 25 with a 1/2 ton Ford, especially a 2014 V-8. Remember to pull the transmission to a lower gear when going up and down a hill.

That said you'll need electric over hydraulic brakes and a weight transfer hitch. The brakes lets the trailer stop on it's own, not adding to the trucks load. The hitch levels out the hitch load by transferring some weight to the front axle, getting rid of the sag and letting the steering work.

I've never towed a Tomcat, but those boats are a lot heavier.

Most people would want a 3/4 ton diesel, but that costs money. I don't think you need a diesel or a V-10. Or a 3/4 ton.

Boris
 
The current TomKat is listed at 5400# on C-Dory's site, and an article from 2006 listed that year's model at 6000#.
Add in another 1000# for twin motors.
So far, I'm guessing a stripped-bare one is pushing 7k plus the mfg fudge factor to look good in the spec brochure.

How heavy is the typical cat trailer?
And besides gas and gear, what are the other heaviest weight factors to consider when guestimating total tow weight?
(at least until you can park it on a scale)
 
In real life, a Tom Cat in Heavy Cruise mode with half gas (that is 450 pounds alone, kids, 900 lbs for full 150 gal gas) , no water, and provisions for cruising 3-4 weeks is 11,000-12,000# on the scale (as opposed to idle speculation without actually putting it on a scale). Confirmed by my weight tickets and Gene's and BTDT (who didn't include 10% tongue wgt).
No one else posting has ever put a Tom Cat 255 on a scale and weighed it and posted about it other than us three. Simple fact.
Sure, you can can get it below that. Simply leave the bottompaint, bimini, gas, water, provisions, anchors, supplies, spare tire/hub, spare engine parts, wife, coolers and gear at home.

On the other hand, the really good news is that a well cared for 2005 2400HD truck like ours (before Blue Def additive required and performance-robbing EPA requirements) can be had for under $14,000 means this looker could afford a Tom Cat and a good used truck together. (That makes more sense for many trademen who could use this truck for work than it does for us, but we deal with it).

Get a Float-On (Dr Bob) custom trailer with EOH brakes and a Directlink controller and you'll have a rig you can tow anywhere in the continent (including the Rockies) without a permit. Label wght is 2,000# for trailer, 12,000 cap, 14,000# total. We are right at that.
Float-On specifically advises against wgt-ditributing hitches on thier torsion-bar trailers...get a truck that meets the specs of the trailer. (I dicker with Bob on about 0.1% of things like this, while agreeing that honorable folks can dicker about them...and I admit he has forgotten more about boating than I'll ever know).

Happy Shopping!
John
 
JMacLeod":2kqe6enj said:
If I'm not forced to trade-up my truck (2014 F-150 XLT), it'll be easier to justify the $20-40k premium of the TomKat over an equivalent 26-28' cruiser to "the Admiral".

Thanks!
Click to expand...


It really depends on the specs of your particular F-150. Some are built to tow while some are built for show. The old '1/2 ton' versus '3/4 ton' days are long gone since the Toyota Tundra came on the market without a generic rating number (150/1500,2500 etc).

I towed my Tomcat with an F-150 for two years with no problems, but I also tend to travel lighter than Dr's T&G, and fuel my boat when I near my launch site. I also started off with a weight distributing hitch and EOH trailer brakes, but found the truck towed better without the weight distributing hitch, not to mention Float-On doesn't like them.

Another factor is how much and where you plan to tow. If you plan on doing a lot of cross country I would go with a diesel, but if you are more into local boating and fishing than towing with a gasser will be fine

As to having to modify the truck, my F-150 had the same transmission as the F-250 along with a factory oil cooler, transmission heat gauge, 7 pin tow plug and computer controlled towing mode with modified shift points.
 
I'm new around here, but I can add some personal observations on this.

In March, I bought a 255 Tomcat and trailered it from Half Moon Bay, CA to Port Angeles, WA. I had previously towed a 7000# trailer from California to WA with a 2014 F150 XLT 4x4 5.0l gas engine and tow package. The engine had power to pull over the Oregon passes--if I slowed down and down-shifted. The problem was the trailer really pushed the truck around, especially in high winds.

Knowing the Tomcat and EZload trailer would really push the F150 limits, I upgraded to a 2018 F250 6.3l turbo diesel 4x4. I had the trailer brakes upgraded from non-working surge units to EoH. That combination worked flawlessly. I couldn't hook up the weight distribution hitch parts because the box arrived with missing parts. I towed it anyway. I didn't have any need to slow over the passes at all. and the 11,000 tow load was very well behaved except in huge sidewinds. In probably 30 knot winds, and tow speed above 60, the trailer just hinted at wanting to sway. I'd slow to 60 and everything was good again.

So, from my experience with these loads and specific trucks, I would go for the F250 (or bigger) to tow a TC255 every time.

Randall
 
Thanks all, for the wealth of information.
My take-away is I'd probably be ok if I had to tow it 3hrs home, bare from the dealer, but after that I'd really be needing an F250 or better.
Either that, or get a CD25.
 
Well, it looks like the Tomcat is gaining most of the replies in this post. And now is the time to put in a good word for the C-Dory 25.

First the Tomcat and the 25 share the same basic cabin. The main difference is that the Tomcat is a catamaran with 2 motors and the 25 is a monohull with one motor. So you're trading off top speed and the catamaran v-berth for a simpler lighter boat. And the catamaran is more stable. It also needs a bigger truck to tow.

There is one person on this site, Dr. Bob, who has experience with both the Tomcat and the 25. When he choose to upgrade from the 22 he went with the 25. I can't tell you why he did, but I can provide a couple of reasons why I would pick the 25. First is the expense: buying the boat in the first place and then keeping 2 motors running, which is not trivial. Second is at the advanced age Bob and I are, launching and retrieving the 25 is a lot easier. Third is the trailering. Apparently, it takes a bigger sturdier truck to haul the Tomcat around. All I need for the for the 25 is an American V-8 and an auto. I'd add disk brakes, but that only applies to trucks of my era. To top it off, I try and do my own maintenance and I'll repeat, the 25 is simpler. Both have the same marine head.

Boris
 
I agree 100% with Boris. Both are great boats. As just one example of ‘additional complexity and expense’, my TC255 has 8 different water pumps not including the twin engines (some of the stripped-down Tom Cats have only 7), each of which has a 12 month warranty and a life expectancy of 13 months plus or minus 2 weeks, and each is $185 on sale, but they won’t be on sale when the sewage pump explodes and you need one real bad.

If this goes well, here is picture of Moby Dick beside a tractor trailer rig during the 2,000 mile Chesapeake trailering adventure. Perhaps a bit much for a first time trailer boater, though many have adapted just fine.

DSC02931.jpg
 
Hi Friends!
After we trailered back from the edge of the Everglades 4 weeks ago, we did some mods and improvements. And most importantly, traded in our beloved 2005 GMC 2500HD truck for a 2019 Ford F250 Lariat 6.7L Turbodiesl 4WD Crew Cab. Eileen, like almost all beautiful women, thinks a big honkin diesel 4WD pickup truck is very sexy. Esp if it has heated and cooled leather seats. And humongous mirrors.
Pros: Best in class tow truck (SAE rated 15,000# conventional, 1,500 tongue wt on included factory 2.5” hitch). No more having to tow with half gas in Heavy Cruise mode to avoid exceeding GMC (not SAE) 12,000#/1,200 tongue wt that we routinely nudged up against by objective CAT truck scale weights. ( I like objective scale weights as opposed to idle speculation).
7-camera amazing Ultimate Tow pkg.
Trailer sway control and Electronic Stability Control/Anti-rollover technology only required after 2012 on all trucks.
Integrated truck EOH brake controller not requiring DirectLink system plugging into OBD port ($550, mine is for sale for $150 now, PM me if interested).
Cons:
Unfortunately, it cost more than any of our first three houses. I hope that as the years roll by, this truck will appreciate in value as much as those little houses did. (One can always hope).
Too big to fit in the garage in our downsized rental house (as was the GMC).
If you love the loud typical clatter of a big diesel engine, get the Ram or GMC 2500HD to satisfy these desires.
We launched again today.
Pics hopefully attached if I followed Dr Bobs always-helpful advice correctly!
Cheers!
John

DSC03525.thumb.jpg
 
Unfortunately, it cost more than any of our first three houses. I hope that as the years roll by, this truck will appreciate in value as much as those little houses did.
Click to expand...

I hope you didn't use this logic to convince yourself to buy the truck! All joking aside, you have a seriously badass boat and truck combo!
 
Gulfcoastjohn":vr6yuflw said:
Hi Friends!

Integrated truck EOH brake controller not requiring DirectLink system plugging into OBD port ($550, mine is for sale for $150 now, PM me if interested).
John
Click to expand...

John, did yours come with all the safety features like automatic braking? I've been drooling over the new F350 but unlike you I'm hoping that those who use their trucks for work will have them lower in value so I can afford them!

Is the Directlink required for every EOH trailer out there?

I looked at an older tomcat and didn't feel safe towing it home, ended up buying a 25 Cruiser and despite the rocking and rolling, I'm happy with the purchase. Thankfully my wife and son have strong stomachs. A bigger trailer with Electric over hydraulic brakes is our next purchase, for now I'll tow the boat with my father-in-laws truck.

Good luck on the decision.
 
Hi Kaelc!
The Big Three truck makers are market savy enough to only include the most advanced safety (and other cool) features on their more expensive models. Of course, Mercedes Benz does the same thing, and with time and economy of scale the costs come down and the same features eventually appear on all models.

Rear cross-traffic radar dash alerts and blind-spot radar alert (in rear view mirrors) are very helpful. The 7-camera Ultimate Trailering pkg with trailer backing aid is awesome. According to my manual, Ford’s Pre-Collision Assist system ‘charges’ the brakes but never applies them. “Brake support does not automatically apply the brakes. If you press the brake pedal, the system could apply additional braking up to maximum braking force, even if you lightly press the brake pedal.”

You want a trailer boat EOH system that is compatible with your in-cab controller, which should have a thumb slider mechanism which allows you to selectively and within a range apply ONLY the trailer brakes (when going down a steep hill in the Rockies, for ex). When you press the cab brake pedal, both tow vehicle and trailer brakes are applied proportional to pedal pressure (on the good models). Most use an inertia/pedulum to detect deceleration and require only a connection to a 4-pin plug under the dash. Direclink connects directly to the On Board Diagnostics plug as well, which is how it knows/alarms for transmission oil high temp etc. I doubt they have 10% of the overall market.

https://tusonrvbrakes.com/collections/d ... controller

BoatUS article on boat EOH trailers:

https://www.boatus.com/magazine/trailer ... brakes.asp

One glance at the picture makes me suspect “Inadequate tow vehicle!” and I’m surprised BoatUS endorsed it by picturing it. I’d like to see the SUV specs and a truck stop scale weight ticket for that boat. But I digress…

Many features, like remote starting the truck engine using your cellphone, strike us as millennial era dumb.

Have you ever accidentally butt-dialed someone? No? It must just be me. Dumb way to run through 34 gallons of deisel at $3.60 a gallon plus DEF fluid.

Ford no longer includes any CD player in trucks. Hopefully we can connect the 8-track to play our Air Supply tapes.

Hope I answered your questions. Take the BoatUS article when you shop for a EOH trailer.

Cheers!
John
 
Just had our "new" 2006 Tomcat shipped from Washington. We asked the trucker to have it weighed at one of the truck scales enroute.

The combined weight of the 37 ft. galvanized EZ-Loader trailer, the 25.5 ft. boat with 4 batteries, twin Honda 150s, canvas, dinghy, dinghy motor, unknown quantity of fuel and water, and one bottle of wine and chocolate (from thoughtful previous owner) came in at 11,560 lbs.

Driver drove a 2015 F450.
 
Congrads, Sealizard! It’s a great boat, and you’re going to love it! (Although I always say that, to date no TC255 buyers have disagreed that I know of).

Congrads also on becoming only the third other TC255 owner since the 2006 TC255 intro (13 years ago) to post an actual scale weight of a TC255 on C-Brats! Let us know when you determine the fuel that was onboard for that weight (two 75 gal tanks full of gas @ 6#/gal is 900 lbs). A full water tank (under helm or nav seat in sponson) is 30g @8#/gal or another 240 lbs if you can access that. The black water tank holds another 9 gallons.
So you might need to add as much as another 1,200 lbs to that 11,560 lbs (though I doubt all those tanks were empty for your weight ticket).

And that’s before you provision for a month in the boondocks with your own personal stuff.

The waterways of the continent are beckoning, all available 24/7 without a permit while trailering at 65 MPH right through a thunderstorm. Now THAT’S a high performance boat!

Enjoy!
John
 
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